Installing Hose and Oring to Regulator

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cmcneil63

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Hi! Installing new hoses to old first stage regulator. Hoping to find some help with:
1) How tight? What is recommended torque or rule of thumb to fasten hose to regulator stage?
2) Should I apply lube or similar to orings before installing? If yes, what lube type, brand?
3) Any recommendations what to use to clean around the threaded area of regulator to ensure clean mounting surface for oring?
Thanks a bunch! Chris
 
Welcome to the board.

Install them with you FINGERS until they get tight then snug them with the proper wrench. The key here is snug, there is no reason to crank down on them, the O-ring does sealing.
I like to use a little silicone grease on any Oring that has to slide past a mating surface. A lint free rag is about all you need to clean the area with....if the area is in need of more cleaning, a rebuild may be in order.
 
I was thinking that if the hoses are bad enough to need replacing, then the "old first stage" probably hasn't been serviced for some time.
 
Hello Chris,

Welcome to Scuba Board.

To add to what Herman said, the threads should not be lubricated. Obviously each end of the hose has o-rings. The end that attaches to the first stage has a static o-ring and does not need to be lubricated, but can be. The other end of the hose will have a swivel either for the second stage or for the SPG. These are dynamic o-rings and should be lubricated. The choice of lubricant is more dependent on the type of o-ring and the application of the regulator. Today, most people use Christo-lube and you really can't go wrong with it as it is considered compatible with all sorts of o-ring material and oxygen safe.

Now, to lube the o-ring, less is more. You need only enough grease to make the the o-ring shinny. The aforementioned Christo-lube is expensive, so use this tip from Oxyhacker, put a little grease into a small plastic bag and massage the o-ring from the outside to keep your fingers and shirt grease free and conserve the slippery white gold.

Torque, again less is more. Remember that the seal is made by the o-ring so install it by hand and add only enough torque so that it can not be removed by hand. When installing the hose to the 1st stage, simply screw it in and torque it down. The second stage and the gage require a little more care. The gage and probably the second stage will have a fitting that should be "backed up" which means held in place with another wrench so that it won't move and damage the regulator or gage. This is particularly important for plastic second stages and gages.

I know I have made it sound a lot more complicated that it really is...do not be afraid to do this your self.

c
 
Good advice already given.

"Just snug" is fine when torqueing the hose fittings to the 1st stage. Just enough so it can't be unscrewed by hand works for me.... :D

Personally, in addition to lightly lubing the o-rings, I like to put a little silicone grease on the threads to make them resist corrosion so they'll come apart more easily a couple years later....maybe even three years later....I lose count when everything's working well.... :)

Small round bristle brushes from my wife's make-up kits clean the threaded holes nicely.

Dave C
 
Dave, Couv, C-snake, and Herman,

Thanks for making me feel welcome to Scuba Board!
And, thanks for your very helpful feedback!
C-snake, I need to install hoses because:
a) my last service swapped 1st stage ports for the octo and 2nd stage resulting in 2nd stage pulling on me a bit. Thus, I need to swap back to original port locations. And,
b) I picked up my first dive computer and wish to install on 1st stage.
Thanks again! Very helpful!
 
Ahhh, ok. I was just making sure, the "old first stage" comment had me worried.

What brand/model reg is it? There are many service manuals available online if you would like the exact torque value. That said, I use 40 in/lb on all my AL's. Many other brands give different specs for the hoses but I'm sure that would work fine.

Couv and dave are two of many reasons this board has become my favorite.
 

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